Struggling to Get Through to Architects & Specifiers?
Do you find it harder than ever to get through to architects and specifiers and capture that little bit of time and attention you need to show them the value of your products?
This issue comes up a lot with building product companies, so we’ve dug a little deeper to find out why it’s happening and how you can fix it.
A Common Challenge
Whilst working with building product companies on a daily basis, we get to learn about and discuss the common challenges they face when it comes to marketing and selling to architects and into the specification market.
And one of the most common challenges and frustrations we hear is that it can be really difficult, if not impossible, to get through to an architect (or the relevant specification decision maker) at the right time.
The building product company has identified a project, which they believe they have the perfect product for, and they know (or at least have a good idea) who they need to speak to.
If they could just get 5 mins of the architects' time or maybe arrange to come see them, or send them some samples, they’re sure the architect would love their products.
But they can’t get through.
The architect has a ‘gatekeeper’ to screen such calls and divert them.
Or perhaps a generic email address which is rarely checked or even completely ignored.
Many companies we speak to are frustrated and question why this is happening, and seemingly, getting worse.
After doing some research, there seems to be two main issues at play:
- Everyone else has the same idea (and the same information)
- Architects & specifiers prefer to do independent research
Everyone else has the same idea (and the same information)
We surveyed almost 800 architects and specifiers and asked them:
How regularly do you receive unsolicited calls or emails from building product companies?
I had a feeling this was going to be high, but the results were probably even more extreme than expected.
- 25% of architects and specifiers say they receive unsolicited calls or emails from product companies on a DAILY basis.
- 40% of architects and specifiers say they receive unsolicited calls or emails from product companies on a WEEKLY basis.
That’s almost two-thirds of architects and specifiers, getting numerous cold calls and emails from product sales reps, on at least a weekly basis.
If these professionals didn’t have someone fielding calls, or if they didn’t choose to ignore unrecognised numbers and cold emails, they literally wouldn’t have any time to design buildings.
This is not how to sell to todays’ architects and specifiers.
When they need your products, or products similar to your products, they will go actively searching for them.
That’s where you need to fight for their attention and engage them.
Why is this happening?
The big cause of this, as we see it, is that building product companies generally all use the same approaches to reach the specification market — and alongside trade shows, direct, cold sales and marketing is one of the most overused.
Commonly, companies buy information (or data) about upcoming construction projects in the belief it gives them some competitive edge, or unique insight.
But unfortunately, every building product company has access to more or less the same data about these upcoming projects and they are all trying to push their way to the front of the queue.
We even see building product companies switch from one project data provider to another, after a year or two of frustration and poor results, in the hope that something will change.
They bet on the belief that somehow, this data providers data might be better.
But there is no issue with the data.
These providers are all selling more or less the same dataset (based off of public planning data).
The problem is with the approach — which isn’t fit for purpose.
If the strength of your logic for contacting an architect is that you make windows, and you know they’re working on a building that needs windows, then however you look at it, it’s a cold lead. And it’s a tough sell.
Multiply that by the fact that 5 of your direct competitors are using the same data sources and inundating the same architects and specifiers with active projects with calls and emails too, and it’s obvious why architects are switching off.
Note: This is not to say that you can’t make this approach work — many of course do.
But you should at least acknowledge that this is a heavily saturated sales and marketing channel — making it at best, inefficient and expensive, at worst damaging to your company and brand.
And by understanding how architects and specifiers actually research construction products, you can differentiate from the crowd.
Architects & specifiers prefer to do independent research
In the same survey of around 800 architects and specifiers, we asked them:
At what point in your product research process do you want input from a manufacturer?
- 38% of architects and specifiers say they want to have done some initial, basic research before speaking to a product rep.
- 30% of architects and specifiers say they want to have gone even further, and want to be seriously considering using a product before speaking to a product rep.
Add into that the 3% who only want to speak to a product company once they have made their decision, and that’s 71% of this market who are definitely not going to be receptive to cold, outbound, direct sales.
Why is this the case?
The internet has made access to information easier than ever. It turned the ‘buying’ process on it’s head, so that sales reps no longer hold all the information (and therefore control of the conversation / transaction).
Architects and specifiers, just like all of us, are consumers.
They are accustomed to using services and platforms like Google, Amazon, Ebay, Uber, Skyscanner, JustEat, Spotify etc. all of which have raised the bar in terms of the ‘buyers’ expectations with their slick, digital and instant experiences.
And so specifiers are very comfortable with, and even enjoy, doing their own independent research and making their own decisions (to a certain degree) without the input of a sales person.
This is not to say that your input as a product manufacturer, particularly someone with technical knowledge, is not valued at all — it is.
It’s just that the timing for that input has moved further along their research process — and acknowledging and working around that will benefit you greatly.
What to do instead?
The smartest and fastest growing companies we’ve seen are focused on being there exactly where and when the specifier needs them.
They ensure that they truly understand how architects and specifiers research products and materials.
They invest in making their products visible and available in the places that specifiers actually go searching for solutions (not trade shows, btw).
And then, when specifiers do find their products, they provide an excellent user experience — making it incredibly easy for them to access the information they need to understand and choose their products.
Finally, they make sure they are alert and responsive as a company, being proactive in following up with those who have shown an interest in their products, and making sure to be quick with responses to direct requests, questions and enquiries.
The above, whilst sounding relatively straightforward is not easy. And for most, it can be difficult to accept that this is a better way to win over architects and specifiers.
In comparison to cold calls and emails, it doesn’t feel very proactive — and we all love to feel busy.
But when done correctly, using the right tools and channels, this approach is just as proactive and much more effective.
It provides an opportunity to differentiate from your competitors, provide specifiers with a positive experience of your brand and build stronger relationships — all whilst reducing costs, time and improving your reputation.
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I’m the founder of SpecifiedBy — we’re solving the misalignment between the way architects and specifiers search for building products, and how building product companies try to market and sell to them.
For a free, 1:1 online demonstration of how this could help your building product company reach over 50,000 architects and specifiers each month, book a time that suits here.
